The National Snow and Ice Data Center created the website so the public, as well as scientists, can track melting on the ice sheet. The melting ice could contribute to sea level rise. As average Earth temperatures continue to warm, the rate of ice melt is a closely monitored area of research.

However, recent research suggest the Greenland Ice Sheet may be more stable, even with warmer temperatures, than previously thought. However, the same research backs up other studies that show the much larger Antarctic Ice Sheet is more unstable than previously thought as global temperatures rise.

While the Earth has been warmer in the past, it's the rate of the temperature rise happening right now that is of most concern. The rate is unnatural with the numbers adding up only when the human element is added into the equation. Click here for more details on climate change and the human influence.